The Mark Taper Forum has designated June 13 as a Pay What You Can Performance of Robert Glaudini's The Poison Tree, which is the fifth production of the Taper's 1999-2000 season. The show, which opens June 8, will continue through July 16.

A limited number of Pay What You Can tickets will go on sale the day of the performance and must be purchased in person at the Center Theatre Group box office for that evening's performance on a cash-only basis. The tickets are subject to availability with a limit of two per person.

Directed by Robert Egan, The Poison Tree features Anne Archer, Christian Camargo, Linda Gehringer, Lola Glaudini, Bob Gunton, Stanley Kamel, Randy Oglesby and Natsuko Ohama.

The drama deals with people swept up in the sudden impulses of life. Rockie, played by Anne Archer, is a fragile woman whose past may or may not have included escapades with such intellectual and artistic giants as Sartre, Andy Warhol, Picasso and Man Ray. Her gentle, protective husband is played by Gunton; Camargo plays the young poetry teacher whose relationship with Rockie becomes charged with sexual tension.

In related news, the Taper also announced that the annual Richard E. Sherwood Award, created to support innovative theatre artists, will be presented to playwright Alice Tuan and director Robert Castro at the opening night of The Poison Tree, June 8.The Taper is located at 135 N. Grand Ave. For tickets and information call (213) 628-2772. The deaf community should call TDD (213) 680-4017. Tickets are also available on-line at www.Taper.Ahmanson

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent